Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Under the influence

It's true what conservatives say: we college professors exert a dangerous influence over our students.

Walking into class today, I was hailed by a student who had taken Shakespeare with me last semester, but whom I'd known only slightly. After a moment or two of how-was-your-summer chit-chat, she held up her inside right wrist to show me the tattoo emblazoned there: MEMENTO MORI.

"That day you brought in the skull?" She said. "And wrote this on the board? That really stuck with me."

So there you have it: I inspire students to deface their bodies and meditate on death. And I couldn't be more proud.

EF: You know, I saw that search in my stats the other day and was curious about it. I'm guessing that I know who you are, just by name and by sight--I saw someone who might have been you, close enough for nametag reading, and noted that said person taught at an institution where a good grad school friend of mine--also an Early Modernist--recently started teaching, and almost introduced myself. (Also, hell: young people were scarce on the ground at that conference, and I had a weird sense that it my duty to get to know all those who were. . . a sense that was tempered, however, by my desire not to seem like a crazy person.)

So yeah. Now I'm the creepy stalker. But if that sounds like it might be you, feel free to drop an email.

Later, during the class's 10-15 minutes of student introductions, the woman in question showed off and explained her tattoo. I saw looks of bafflement and vague concern on several faces--as if trying to figure out what weird cult of personality they'd accidentally signed up for.

When I went to AWP last year, I collected pencils and trinkets from the book fair for my workshop students. By far the most popular souvenirs were the temporary tattoos handed out at the Kenyon Review booth: a little drawing of a skull with the words "Write Hard, Die Free." Maybe some university press will make up "Memento Mori" temporary tattoos to hand out at this year's MLA!